1953 Oldsmobile Super Eighty-Eight

Ransom Eli Olds and his 'Curved Dash Olds' established a reputation for its design, reliability, and innovations. Many recognized it as being the first mass-produced motorcar and a marvel of engineering. Power was from a water-cooled single-cylinder engine that developed five-horsepower. The total production reached just over 19,000 examples before production ended in 1907. A year later, Ransom Olds sold his business to General Motors and soon lost control of the company he started, but the financial resources of GM allowed Olds to remain a fixture within the industry, with many 'industry first,' before its demise in 2004

During the early 1950s, Oldsmobile, with its 'Rocket' V-8 engine, won nine Grand National events and was a dominant force in NASCAR racing before it was outpaced by the Hudson Hornet. The success at the racetrack translated into sales in the showroom and Oldsmobile sold 319,414 cars for the calendar year, placing them in seventh place in U.S. auto industry sales.

The 1953 Oldsmobile Super Eighty-Eight continued to share many similarities with the Deluxe Eighty-Eight, including its chassis, styling, and many of the standard features but differed in regards to its engine, that it shared with the top-of-the-line Ninety-Eight. The overhead-valve Rocket V8 had hydraulic valve lifters, a Rochester 4GC four-barrel or Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetor, and delivered 165 horsepower and 284 lb-feet of torque at 1,800 RPM. It came standard with a three-speed manual column-shifted transmission or an optional Hydra-Matic.

Body styles on the Super 88 included a 2- and 4-door sedan, Holiday Hardtop, and convertible. By far, the sedan was the most popular with 119,317 examples sold. The 2-door sedan and holiday hardtop had similar sales, at approximately 35,000 each. The convertible accounted for 8,310 sales.

Standard equipment included an electric clock, dual horns, cigarette lighter, lined trunk, twin interior sun visors, bumper guards, 7.60 x 15-inch tires, seat robe rails, chrome window ventipanes, and additioanl stainless steel trim. The interior upholstery was done in either leather or nylon cloth.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020